🏀 KuBuckets Archive

A couple of huge IFS: If the seeding committee once again sets up a match between WSU and KU, and if Frankamp's threes are on target,
we had best place our quickest and best defender on him before he hits his second shot from beyond the arc. Otherwise, we lose. Baker and VanFleet are a genuine force, destined to keep the Shockers into most any last minute close contests. When hot, Frankamp would be the DIFFERENCE.

Of the two, I would take Devonte, hands down. However, Frankamp looks to be the kind of player who gives Bill Self's teams fits in NCAA Tournament play.

Though a real bulldozer, Cliff is another of Bill Self's tweeners who might be just a bit shy of the height and skillset to survive in other than a parsimonious back-up role in the NBA. A bargain basement TRob.

@jaybate-1.0 jb, I enjoyed your repetitive use of the term "reputedly." Could very well be that KU and the governing NCAA body reached a quick agreement to drop Cliff like a hot potato, protect the Jayhawk program from sanctions (and never firmly announce the NCAA stand, once Cliff's family reputedly hired a litigator). Seemed more than somewhat curious that the only definite comment on Cliff's ineligibility emanated from Self, after the season. During the time when Cliff was sitting we were all left wondering when or if the issue of NCAA eligibility would be resolved.

@REHawk One common thread would appear to be fortunate 3 pt. shooting.

An intriguing thought: getting into the heads of all NCAA Tournament coaches who have neutralized and defeated Bill Self's system, searching for common threads in such schematics.

Evidently, Langford injured an ankle early in this Canadian contest. That might explain his no show after halftime. Interesting that with all the experienced talent, Baker looked so good for USA going down the stretch. If VanFleet would have been available for final 5 minutes, I warrant that USA would have pulled out a victory. If Bill Self watched the closing minutes of this contest, he must have ground his molars to chalkdust!

In that final half game in S. Korea our players were so worn out that Self finally was forced to revert to systems basketball. We must not forget that IT WORKED WELL FOR THE OUTCOME. Given enough player talent, Self is a master at finishing games, pulling out wins in back and forth squeakers. I watched USA lose to the Canadians today in the Pan American Games. Kept imagining how Self might have coached our disparate group of American representatives in the closing minutes. I'm fairly certain of one thing: he would not have cut VanFleet from the group which had been selected for the trials. That young Canadian kid Murray displayed the difference to be expected from an accomplished point guard. Calipari is probably dancing a wild fandango tonight.

Well, it did appear that Cleveland's front office gave LeBron the green light to pick his own teammates, then pretty much coach the squad throughout much of the season. For whatever reasons, the scheme ultimately failed, though it worked quite well until the two key injuries.
Wigs probably was fortunate to move into a situation wherein he was allowed to grow out of his teens w/o super stresses to win games or dance to the frantic tyranny of The Established Superstar.

Keith Lankford scoring well vs. Puerto Rico. Ron Baker started, and is playing well.

Frank has not only the disadvantage of height, but also reach. I think this makes for a destination of NBA back-up pt. guard, at best. Even if he should star in a pair of Final Four seasons, the NBA will be leery of his measurements. His low steals numbers are significant. By the way, kudos to Frank for being selected, along with Wayne, to First Team All WUGs. He was selected as the best pt. guard in the tournament.

@konkeyDong Man, I really admire your time and effort invested in this piece. A terrific July contribution. That said, it is unlikely, in my opinion, that we get thru this non-con schedule unbeaten. I predict one loss. Wish we could have drawn UK in December...or SDSU on a neutral court.

@justanotherfan Wrong, wrong, wrong + wrong. If these guys have hopes of matriculating to professional play, their current positions as Jayhawks fall into the tweener category. (Well, ok, I will back off on one of those "wrongs": Selden, as a KU 3, could hardly be defined as a tweener.)

If Diallo does, indeed, lock down the 5-position start by second semester, Bill Self's lineup could be 80% filled with "tweeners" at positiitons 2, 3, 4, 5:
Mason, Selden, Ellis, Diallo. A very intriguing conceptual strategy for speedy Division 1 play.

On a side note, the Big 12 has done a better than adequate job of hiring and installing decent talented hoops coaches. Even a pair of the current apparent bottomfeeders, Weber and Tubby, have taken former teams to the Promised Land. Pastner appears to have run off some quite good players in the past few years. The recruiting successes of newly installed coaches at Cal and LSU falls just short of puzzling.

Sunday, 4:15 a.m. in the MO Ozarks. Ready to roll!

Undefeated Kansas/USA to play undefeated Russia at 4:30 am Sunday, ESPNU.

I'm one of the critics who felt that Selden was undeserving of the free pass which Bill Self seemed to offer last season when Wayne was struggling to finish from the 2 position. At this juncture I feel a bit like Jerry Tarkanian, chomping on a towel. Gotta hope the New Wayne at the 3 position plays up to his pre-Jayhawk forecast. Big 12 coaches had learned to play AROUND the shortcomings of the Old Wayne. Let's see if they can adjust defenses to cope with the explosive New Wayne, esp. in light of Bill Self's possessing so much other talent at all positions.

@clevelandjayhawk If he avoids injury I'm wagering that by March he will draw 18+ minutes.

I have Dish ESPNU, and it shows it as scheduled.

I heard or read somewhere that when Vick decided to de-commit from SMU that Larry Brown called Bill Self and advised him to jump on this kid pronto. Sounds like a great tip. Lagerald and Carlton are playing with lots of energy. Toss Diallo in with that threesome and this could turn into one of Self's very best and most exciting recruiting years.

Not to flog a wounded horse too harshly, but my best advice to Greene: Seriously consider opting for a red shirt. A fully healthy fourth and fifth year of experience, and YOU ARE ONE OF THE MEN!

I've watched and re-watched those springtime classics in which Diallo walked off with MVP trophies. He is no fluke. Barring injury, this kid is a 3rd or 4th year Kevin Young with more wingspan and upside. Granted, he must adjust quickly to Bill Self Defense or he will not get immediate 25+ minute playing time. But his energy and instincts are off the charts for an incoming freshman. I am much more sure of Diallo than I was of Wiggins prior to his first appearances in a Jayhawk uniform. Diallo probably has more to learn than did Wiggins, at this stage, and he might not have as big an NBA upside; but he is going to impact KU Hoops just as much or more than did Andrew. If Mickelson can keep a'comin', he and Diallo are going to make life delightful for Perry, Wayne, Frank and the other key players. Someone recently wrote that Self's bench will be deadly. Man, do I ever second that postulation!

Did Lucas shoot off a toe or two with that halftime shove? If my memory hasn't failed me (again), Lucas did not get off the pine, second half.
Mickelson's play had lots to do with that coaching decision, I suspect. But LL might have been swept to the chill box. He does seem inclined to respond to his tormentors with a chip. Needs to get strong enough that he can retaliate with grins and chuckles rather than peevish and potentially costly defiance. More time with Hudy; less time on the links.

@jaybate-1.0 Just ask Roy!

Serbia has allowed opponents only 9.7% success from beyond the arc. YIKES! We could really use Svi with a hot hand. Greene probably could not get off a shot, even when in top form. I notice that Mason leads the entire tournament field in trips to the freethrow line. Gotta hope his body holds up with the bruisers he will face tonight. Moore could be in for a slaughter. All this doom and gloom aside, I think we will muster just enough offense to squeak out another win. Gonna be a huge defensive battle.

Seems like an extremely long wait to see Mickelson win major playing time in a Kansas lineup. He appears to be making the most of his senior opportunity.

@HighEliteMajor If the Nightengale report was correct, Lucas bagged those 14 rebounds in a mere 13 minutes of play. WOW!

Squatty Miller is in the run for that USA coaching position. He coached this month's U19 team to the world finals. Won it this weekend, I think.

This was a very big win, esp. against a talented squad in Game One. Gradually, we will adjust to international rules and the speed of the game. Very reassuring to see Selden continue with the production he posted vs. Canada. Ellis still quite steady; playing tougher than previously, banging with opposing bigs. Frank has a penchant for rising to key occasions in key moments.. We could really use a dominant big man. Diallo might have helped lots in this contest; but I can envision him running into foul problems at this stage of his development.

@jaybate-1.0 Somewhere last night (Yahoo Sports, I think), I found a Dave King article which lent heavy criticism toward the conduct of the Morrii. Evidently, they wore out their luster with Suns' fans and management. Sounds as though they are not exactly "taking care of business" in the most pleasant and profitable of ways. I would imagine that Mama Morris is in a dither over their situation.

Just read KC Star news article that Suns are freeing up salary cap by trading Marcus and 2 others to the Pistons for a future draft pick.

Twins have been split up again. Marcus to the Pistons.

Well, Paul P. departs the Wizards to rejoin his former Celtics coach, now with the Clips. Let's see if Kelly can step right up to walk his talk.
Last I checked, Vegas odds don't list him among top 20 candidates for Rookie of Year. I will cheer for him enthusiastically if he pulls it off and outperforms. I would imagine that TRob, Cole and Xavier could tell him a thing or two about NBA DREAMS vs. REALITY. At the moment, the Rookie Rush is ON.

I really enjoyed watching Bo and his squad in the Tournament this season. What a fine job he did with Dekker and Kaminski. 40 years of coaching...WOW!

The addition of Nic Moore to the KU summer lineup for the WUGs appears to have reassured Bill Self that Selden will best fit the 3 spot this season. Perhaps with a healthy Graham, Nic's presence would have been less essential. But he is a very skilled guard who, combined with Frank, looks to be a beacon for Self and Graham. Now it will be interesting to watch Svi work at the 2 spot, as HEM thinks he might best be situated.

My inclination is to be impressed with and supportive of the Kansas 5-year players. Teahan, Releford, now Traylor; these are the real jewels of the program. I enjoyed watching the athleticism and occasional splendid performances of Xavier, Andrew and Kelly. But in my mind those three are merely asterisks in the bigger and more enduring scheme of Kansas Basketball. In 7 or 8 years, it will be Kelly WHO? While Conner T., Travis and Jamari will still reside in my fonder fan memory and appreciation. Ben Mc is a figure who represents a touch different situation for me. His freshman year ruling of ineligibility led to his staying in Lawrence 2 seasons. He seems a more integral ingredient of KU Hoops than did our other OADers. Perhaps it was the family poverty issue...or the fact that he jumped across the barrier of the bloody border.

@JayHawkFanToo I concur that the Sixers could not pass on Okafor. That pick could easily turn out to be the real steal of the lottery. If Embiid does not make a second year show, then Okafor is essential to their lineup. If JoJo steps up big time, then the team possesses another pair of Bigs with tremendous trade value. I would imagine that the likes of Phil Jackson might be absolutely drooling over the Sixers' covey of big men.

@JayHawkFanToo My understanding is that the lottery picks get a 3 year guaranteed contract and income. Beyond the #14 pick, no 3 year guarantee, just one year and hope for no major injury or disappointing progress to curtail tenure. If so, that's a huge load for Kelly to bear. He's got the tools to do well. And the talk: I'm a jewel and a steal. Now he must immediately walk the talk.

Kelly's gamble did not exactly pay the dividends he anticipated. Ever so close, but not quite. Came to Lawrence unprepared to play defense. Departed unprepared to impress lottery selectors. That pretty much sums up his current situation: a promising player with good upside; but not quite yet ready. He could have used more seasoning, a la Kaminsky, Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles, and the midmajor Murray State soph. He hasn't yet established the impressive dominance or stats of fellow frosh Townes, Okafor, Russell. Now it's going to be touch and go for extended contracts, esp. if early injury should hamper his NBA career. He and we could have benefitted from his presence in the WUG and the 2015-16 Big 12 race. But, hey, we are all moving on, opening new chapters.

After watching the draft night disappointments of several KU players (Simien, Arthur, Chalmers...) I'm not wagering any five dollar bills on the good fortunes of Oubre or Alexander. Kelly still appears to be borderline lottery. For the benefit of KU Hoops, I hope his gamble pays off.

Mason, Ellis, Selden and Traylor posted some impressive stats. Without the solid contribution of SMU's Nic Moore, would we have won that scrimmage?

@HighEliteMajor KC Star ran a muddled box score which I read at 11 pm Tuesday night. That is where I discovered that Lucas and Mickelson combined for a whopping total of 2 pts.

Holy Moly! I just read KC Star stat sheet. Mickelson and Lucas combined for a total of 2 points? YIKES!

Thanks for these game reports, Posters. Nothing at LJW as of 10:57 p.m. Am doubly happy that I quit posting or reading much on that ol' site.

@jaybate-1.0 Maybe I'm just thinking as a Negative Ned about the outcome of our involvement with these Games, but I can't envision any positives other than Jayhawk opportunity to get in 30 days of unlimited practice and playing time this summer. What with the ineligible foreign players on our roster, coupled with injuries to Greene and Graham, the stars are not aligned to portend for heavenly blessings. Those two factors plus our entering the competition with no dominant big man. Perhaps in the course of next season these 30 days will pay huge dividends. Otherwise, hopes appear futile for any but negative publicity and impact. Could this June/July squad defeat Wichita State in a rematch?

What with Jayhawk injuries and foreign born players on the roster, this is not the best of all summers for the USA to appoint KU as a national representative to the World U. Games. Gotta hope the outcome does not turn out to be an embarrassment for the program and a subsequent deterrent to future recruiting. I can see opposing coaches braced to highlight any of our failures in their own recruiting pursuits, if, indeed, we should stumble away with a 9th place, as did N. Iowa a few years ago. On the other hand, this is an excellent opportunity for some of our marginal contributors to win game experience. The WUG opportunity did not appear to garner any topnotch recruits for us this past year. So the entire hoopla must be looked upon with something of a ho-hum attitude by the American basketball community. On the grand scale, probably more positives than negatives for BIll Self's squad and his own personal professional status. Win or lose in South Korea, ROCK CHALK!

The game seems to be growing exponentially stressful on young bodies. This week in Lawrence teenage players are going up against seasoned professionals. I watched Golden State through the playoff series and finals. Am amazed that a lithe body like Step Curry's can survive the physical demands. It does seem as though our current group of Jayhawks has collected much more than a customary share of rehab hours.

Doesn't our neighbor Wichita State have a senior point guard and a senior small forward who put the clamps on our Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament? Probably not viable considerations, though....

@Crimsonorblue22 Maybe Snacks could be tucked into the Big Jay costume. Road to Redemption!